"T.A.D.E.D."

While New York rap culture's borders have always been porous, over the last few years its participants have reinvented the city's scene as omnivorous, drawing inspiration from outside as much they do from within. Case in point: Brooklyn duo the Underachievers (who recently signed to Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label) flow like they're from the Midwest and grew up listening to a ton of Southern rap. Their debut mixtape, Indigoism, was released a few days ago, and "T.A.D.E.D." (which stands for "Trippy All Day Every Way") is one of its many highlights.

Indebted to the hazy hallucinations of Clams Casino, "T.A.D.E.D." approaches the clouds but remains tethered to the ground by a heavy, mutating lower-end. It's the perfect setting for Issa Dash and Ak's blend of stoner mysticism and curled-lip smacktalking. Although you can trace their influences with ease-- the chopped-and-screwed passages are ripped straight from A$AP Rocky's playbook, and the way Issa leans into his vowels on the hook recalls Kanye's exaggerated drawl-- their stitchwork is impressive. They rap with a coiled energy that unravels with the ferocity of youth, and they're as adept at navigating tight corners as they are wide straightaways. So when the brakes are applied and the hook appears, it's both a chance to suck in air and a mission statement.